Sales teams are drowning in data, automation, and outreach- yet still miss the right moment to engage. In this AxonJay lunch webinar, Dylan Mendes sat down with Jean-Philippe Schepens van Thiel (Founder of AxonJay) and Pascal Persyn (Commercial Excellence Expert) to cut through the noise.
Their shared belief? AI only creates value when it helps humans focus on the right account, with the right message, at the right moment.
Q1. Everyone talks about AI. What do sales leaders really need to understand today?
Jean-Philippe:
“AI is not one thing. We have generative AI, predictive AI, assistive AI, conversational AI, agentic AI- all with different strengths. Most companies are ‘playing’ with AI, but not using it to generate real revenue or margin.”
“The next wave is hybrid AI: combining these models so they actually support business decisions. Not replacing humans- but making them superhuman.”
Q2. What does hybrid AI mean in practice for sales?
Jean-Philippe:
“Sales will always be human. Trust, energy, values - machines can’t replace that. But machines can scan entire markets in real time and predict which companies are ready to buy, and why now.”
“Your brain isn’t built to analyse millions of signals. AI is. Let the machine do that, so humans can focus on meaningful conversations.”
Q3. Buying intent has been promised for years. What did we get wrong?
Pascal:
“Traditional buying-intent models were fundamentally flawed. Clicking content or visiting a website doesn’t mean someone is ready to buy. It just means they’re curious.”
“That’s why marketing automation created so much frustration between marketing and sales. Engagement is not intent.”
“Real buying readiness comes from context: what’s happening inside and around a company - hiring, growth, pressure, change. AI finally allows us to connect those dots.”
Q4. Why does timing matter more than volume?
Jean-Philippe:
“Outreach has exploded. My LinkedIn inbox went from 5 messages a day to over 100. That’s ‘spray and pray’ - and it destroys attention and reputation.”
“It’s not about doing more outreach. It’s about being there at the exact moment it matters, with a message that makes sense now.”
Q5. What sales fundamentals must be in place before using AI?
Pascal:
“AI won’t fix broken fundamentals. You need:
- A clear commercial methodology
- Team selling instead of individual heroics
- Focus on knowledge, not activity volume
- Less admin, more value-adding conversations”
“AI should reduce friction -preparing meetings, summarising conversations, prioritising actions- so salespeople spend time where it counts.”
Q6. Why transparency in AI is non-negotiable
Jean-Philippe:
“Black-box AI doesn’t work in business. Sales leaders must understand why a company is flagged as ready to buy.”
“At AxonJay, we show the exact signals behind every recommendation. Transparency allows feedback- and feedback makes the AI smarter.”
Q7. Who gets the most value from predictive AI?
Jean-Philippe:
“Interestingly, mid-sized and smaller companies often benefit the most. They can move fast. Momentum matters.”
“You don’t need thousands of signals. Sometimes two highly relevant signals in a quiet market are far more powerful than hundreds of weak ones.”
Closing insight
Pascal:
“The goal isn’t automation. It’s orchestration. AI should help humans be more relevant, earlier in the buying journey, with better conversations.”
Jean-Philippe:
“AI is unstoppable - like rain flowing down a window. The question isn’t if you use it, but how. Hybrid AI lets machines do what they’re good at, so humans can do what only humans can.”
Couldn’t join live? No problem
Questions
Jean-Philippe M.L. Schepens van Thiel
+32 471 80 80 82